White Anchovy Recipe

Trim and cure

Rinse anchovy fillets briefly under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Lay them flat in a single layer in a nonreactive dish (glass or ceramic). Sprinkle sea salt evenly over the fillets to lightly cure them. Cover the dish and refrigerate for 20 minutes — this firms the flesh and draws out excess moisture.

Rinse and marinate

After 20 minutes, gently rinse the salt from the fillets under cold water and pat them dry thoroughly. In a bowl, combine white wine vinegar, water and sugar; stir until sugar dissolves. Place the anchovy fillets skin-side down in a shallow container and pour the vinegar mixture over them so they are just submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 45–60 minutes until the flesh turns opaque and slightly firm (the marinading time may vary slightly depending on fillet thickness).

Drain and dry

Remove the fillets from the marinade and gently blot each with paper towels to remove excess liquid. Lay them on a clean plate or tray, skin side down, ready for dressing.

Prepare infused oil

In a small saucepan, warm the extra-virgin olive oil over low heat. Add the thinly sliced garlic and gently warm for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and just softened — do not brown the garlic. Turn off the heat and let the garlic steep in the oil for 5 minutes to infuse flavor.

Assemble dressing

Strain the oil into a small bowl, discarding any browned pieces if present. Stir in the chopped parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust seasoning; no additional salt is usually necessary because the anchovies retain a salty character from curing.

Dress the fillets

Arrange the drained anchovy fillets on a serving plate. Spoon the dressed oil evenly over the fillets so each piece gets some garlic and parsley. Let them sit at cool room temperature for 5–10 minutes for the flavors to meld.

Toast the bread or crostini until golden. Place a fillet atop each slice (or serve fillets alongside bread). Garnish with microgreens or extra parsley if using. Serve immediately as an appetizer with lemon wedges on the side.

Storage: Store leftover dressed fillets in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Bring to cool room temperature before serving; discard if oil becomes cloudy or fish smells off.